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Instability in Libya

Libyan Lawmakers Vote to Delay Parliamentary Elections

  • The elections will now take place a month after their originally scheduled date in December, a spokesperson for the legislature said (Associated Press)

United Nations Investigation Reveals Possible Crimes Against Humanity in Libya

  • Amidst a significant anti-migrant crackdown in Libya, UN investigators claimed they have evidence of possible crimes against humanity and war crimes committed against Libyan civilians and migrants (Associated Press)

Four Thousand People Detained by Libyan Officials in Anti-Migrant Raids

  • Human rights advocates expressed concern over the detainment of four thousand migrants in western Libya, which resulted in the death of at least one migrant while fifteen others were injured (Al-Jazeera)

UN Extends Mission in Libya

  • The UN Security Council unanimously agreed to extend the UN’s political mission in Libya through January 2022, following a standoff between the United Kingdom and Russia over the terms of the extension (Associated Press)

U.S. Bill Places Sanctions on Foreign Actors in Libya

  • The U.S. House of Representatives voted 386 to 35 in favor of the Libya Stabilization Act, a bill that could sanction foreign actors supporting rival factions in Libya (Al Jazeera)

Libyan Leader Announces October Conference on Stability

  • Mohamed al-Menfi, chairman of the Presidential Council in Libya’s UN-backed unity government, called the conference to ensure that December elections occur as planned after the eastern-based parliament withdrew its support of his government (Reuters)

Libya’s Parliament Passes Vote of No Confidence for Transitional Government

  • Libya’s parliament passed a vote of no confidence for the Libyan transitional government in advance of planned elections on December 24 (Associated Press)

East Libyan Forces Clash With Chadian Rebels

  • Chadian rebel forces clashed with forces led by Libyan rebel commander Khalifa Haftar in Libya’s south (Reuters)

German Embassy Reopens in Libya

  • German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas traveled to Tripoli to reopen the German embassy in Libya (Al-Monitor)

Libyan Presidential Council Announces Release of Prisoners

  • Mohammad Younes Menfi, chairman of the Libyan Presidential Council, announced the release of prisoners as part of a national reconciliation project. Among the released prisoners is Saadi al-Qaddafi, son of former Libyan leader Muammar al-Qaddafi (Al Jazeera)

Libya’s Neighbors Urge Foreign Fighters to Leave

  • A two-day summit for countries neighboring Libya ended yesterday, with Algeria, Egypt, Tunisia, Sudan, Chad, and Niger calling for foreign fighters and mercenaries to leave Libya and for groups in Libya to stick to a political roadmap. Under the agreement reached last year, parliamentary and presidential elections are set to take place in December (Associated Press)
  • Separately, clashes broke out in Tripoli over a disagreement between rival parties over leadership positions at a government agency (Reuters)

Drone in Libya Thought to Have Attacked Fighters Autonomously

  • An artificial intelligence–powered drone with a “lethal autonomous weapon system” seems to have attacked fleeing soldiers on its own last year during Libya’s civil war, according to a UN-commissioned report. The report raises questions about oversight of and potential mistakes by autonomous weapons (New York Times)

Libyan National Army Captives Released in Move Towards Unity

  • More than one hundred Libyan National Army captives were released by forces in western Libya. The men, captured in April 2019, were released to solidify the October ceasefire and unity government agreement (Reuters)

Libya Demands Foreign Mercenaries Leave

  • Foreign Minister Najla al-Mangoush demanded all mercenaries immediately leave Libya, a call supported by the visiting foreign ministers of France, Germany, and Italy. She also said Germany and Italy will reopen their embassies in Libya. France agreed to reopen its diplomatic post earlier this week (Middle East Eye)

France Announces Reopening of Libya Embassy

  • French President Emmanuel Macron said his country will reopen its embassy in Tripoli next week after closing it in 2014 due to insecurity. He also pledged support for Libya’s recently installed unity government (Al Jazeera)

UN: Arms Embargo on Libya Is Not Working

  • In a new report, UN experts called the 2011 arms embargo on Libya “totally ineffective” and pointed to “extensive, blatant” violations by UN member states, private mercenaries, and others. They also said several participants at UN-led talks in November were offered bribes to vote to elect interim Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah (Agence France-Presse)

Libyan PM Decries Mercenaries

  • UN-backed interim Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah called the estimated twenty thousand mercenaries in Libya “a stab in our back” (Agence France-Presse)
  • Dbeibah told parliament, which approved his cabinet today, that he would demand the foreign fighters’ departures (Al Jazeera)

Libya’s Parliament Fails to Approve Proposed Cabinet

  • The country’s parliament failed to approve a thirty-five-member cabinet proposed last week by UN-backed Prime Minister–designate Abdul Hamid Dbeibah. Parliamentarians are expected to resume talks today (National)

Libya’s Prime Minister-Designate Submits Government Lineup to Parliament

  • Libya’s prime minister-designate submitted a proposal for a cabinet lineup to parliament. The House of Representatives will vote on the proposal next week in what is considered a key step towards unifying the country (Al Jazeera)

Libya’s Interim Prime Minister Calls for Report on Vote-Buying

  • Recently appointed interim Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah demanded that UN experts publish a report that allegedly details how delegates at the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum were offered bribes to vote for him (Al Jazeera)

Libyan Minister Survives Assassination Attempt

  • Fathi Bashagha, the interior minister of Libya’s unity government, survived an assassination attempt yesterday. Assailants fired on the minister’s vehicle near the capital, Tripoli, an unnamed official said. Two perpetrators were arrested and another was hospitalized (Agence France-Presse)

United Nations-led Libya Forum Selects Interim Government

  • The Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) selected Mohammed al-Menfi as presidency council head and Abdulhamid Dbeibeh as prime minister. Almost all candidates committed to the December elections and helping displaced Libyans return home (Al Jazeera)

Voting for Libyan Presidency Council Continues

  • The Libyan Political Dialogue Forum voted to elect a three-member Presidency Council, which will be part of an interim executive body until national elections are held. No candidate received the necessary 70 percent of votes, forcing another round of voting (Arab News)

UN Secretary-General Urges Foreign Forces to Leave Libya

  • UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the UN Security Council demanded that foreign forces and mercenaries leave Libya. The acting U.S. ambassador to the United Nation specifically called out Russia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates, which have backed rival factions in Libya’s war (Reuters)

Nearly Fifty Migrants Dead Off Coast of Libya

  • At least forty-three migrants died after their Europe-bound boat capsized off Libya’s coast. The incident was the first time migrants have been shipwrecked in the central Mediterranean this year, according to the United Nations’ migration and refugee agencies (Guardian)